Measuring-form.



J. H. CLEARWATER.

MEASURING FORM.

APPLICATION ILBD JULY 26, 1912.

. 1,099,165. Patented June 9, 1914.

2 8HEETS-SHBET 1.

INVENTOR WITNESSES (71 1 efia dflwfllili 77 Ki a/thawed BY /WM ATTORNEYLOLUMBIA WRAP" c0..wAm|W. D. c.

J. H. GLEARWATER.

MEASURING FORM.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 26, 1912.

1,099,165, Patented June 9, 1914.

2 SEEETB-BHBET 2.

INVENTOR @meJHGkianW/mfex' WITNESSES UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES H. CLEARWATER, 0E KINGSTON, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO UNIVERSAL ROADMACHINERY 00., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

MEASURING-FORM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 9, 1914.

Application filed July 26, 1912. Serial No. 711,615.

1 '0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JAMES H CLEAR- wa'rnn,a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Kingston,county of Ulster, and State of New York, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Measuring-Forms, of which the following is aspecification.

The object of this invention broadly is to provide an improved measuringform that is inflexible with relation to the quantity of material it isdesired to contain, that when in use is rigidly maintained inextendedposition, and that can be readily collapsed or folded for moreconvenient transportation.

More specifically, the form of device comprising the preferredembodiment of this i11- vention, is designed to facilitate the accuratemeasurement of material used in road construct-ion. In the instance ofMacadam and other highways maintained by the re spective States andmunicipalities, it is customary, when necessary to top dress the roads,to let contracts for the placing at specified intervals along theroadside and in designated quantities, brokenstone, gravel, etc., afterthe deposit of which inspectors endeavor to check up the deliveries.This, however, is a rather diflicult matter as a rule, for thedeliveries are often made upon projecting rocks, or other irregularitiesalong the roadside, and, while apearing to be correct, may actually beshort by half of the amount called for. Heretofore there has been noparticular form for the piles of material, and they often spread orscatter, thus making it quite difficult for the inspectors to measure,and even more difficult incases of doubt to prove non-delivery.

To obviate the many difficulties attending the present system, thedevice herewith presented is designed to make the measuring of eachdelivery of material both accurate and easy of accomplishment, andcomprises in its preferred form the construction shown inthe drawings,in whicht Figure 1 is a top plan view in extended position; Fig. 2 is aside elevation; Fig. 3 is an end view; Fig. i is a bottom plan view ofone end portion of the device in extended position; and Fig 5 is abottom plan View of the device in folded position.

Referring to the drawings, it will be seen that the device comprisesprimarily a quad rilateral frusto-pyramidal frame, bounded by rigid sideand folding end sections, ta-

pering upwardly at any desired angle but preferably at an angleofsubstantially 15 degrees. The side sections 7 beveled and tapered oneach end are rigid, as stated, and provided in each of their upperportions and as a unitary part thereof with a strip or rod 8, projectingbeyond the ends of the respective adjacent section and tcrminatingattheir opposite ends in handles 9. For stiffening the side sections 7there are positioned at spaced intervals pairs of plates 10, comprisingsimilar members placed so as to face each other on the opposite sides ofsaid sections, while bolt-s or rivets 11 are passed through said platesand their respectively adjacent interposed section, to secure saidplates together and to said section The ends of the form are composed ofsimilar half-sections 15, beveled and tapered on their outer ends andsecured to the similarly beveled and tapered end portions of the sidesections 7 by hinges 16 situated in the interior angle formed by saidside and end sections. The half-sections 15 are cut square at theirinner adjacent ends and secured together by hinges 17 011 the outersides thereof. For maintaining said end sections in alincment, and thedevice as a.

whole in rigid extended position, there is pivoted on or adjacent to theupper edge of one of each of the pairs of said end sections apocket-book fastener 18, the sides of which, when in operative position,straddle the sides of the adjacent portions of the upper edges of. saidend half-sections.

From the foregoing description it is evident that this device may becarried in collapsed condition upon a load of material, and when desiredtaken down, placed in a position upon a flat surface at the roadside,opened outwardly until the ends are fully extended, in which positionthey are secured by the fasteners 18. The material is then filled in theform and leveled off, after which the form is lifted upwardly, leaving asolid frusto-pyramid of the material and from the fact that the sidesthereof are inclined at substantially 45 degrees, the pile will maintainits shape and there will be no sliding of the sides. Then, the devicebeing in extended position, the same may be folded for transportation byraising each of the fasteners 18 out of engagement with the sides of thehalf sections 15, and folding said sections inwardly upon the hinges l6and 17 thus causing the sides to approach and take up a parallelrelation with each other until the respective side and end sections areclosely adjacent and parallel to one another. However, whileone'embodiment of the device has been shown and described, it is notdesired to limit the invention to that particular form, but it isdesired to anticipate any other construction which shall fall within thescope of the ap'- pended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to protectby Letters Patent of the United States is V 1. A collapsible measuringform compris- 'ing a quadrangular frusto-pyramidal collapsible frame,having an unobstructed open base or under side, and an unobstructed openupper side, and'including two oppositely disposed substantially flatrigid side walls, means hingedly connecting the 'opposite ends of eachof said end walls to the opposite ends of said side walls respectively,and four handles'connected to the ends of said side walls respectivelyandprojecting outwardly therefrom at points spaced above the lower orbasal edges ofl'said side walls, each of said end walls being'formed oftwo flat rigid sections which are hingedly connected to permit each ofsaid end walls to fold inwardly, and the loweraor longer edges of saidside walls and said end walls being arranged to lie in the same planeand to rest against any suitable flat surface of unlimited area whensaid frame is in operation. 2. A measuring form comprising a collapsiblequadro-lateral frusto pyramidal frame having an unobstructed open baseor lower side, and anunobstructed open upper side, and including twosubstantially flatrigid side walls, tWo end walls, hinges arrangedwithin said frame in the angles between said side walls and said endwalls, and connecting each end of said side walls with each end of saidend walls respectively, each of said hinges being secured to an innerside of one of said side walls and to an inner side of one of said endwalls, and each of said end walls being formed of two substantially flatrigid sections which are hingedly connected to permit said end walls tofold inwardly, said side walls and said end walls being arranged when inoperation to converge upwardly at approximately equal angles withrespect to the plane of the basal edges of said frame, and each of saidside walls being provided at each end with a handle' rigid therewith andprojecting out 'wardly therefrom"substantially in a plane with each endof said end walls respectively,

each of said hinges being secured to an'inner side of one of saldside-walls and to an inner side of one of said end walls, and each ofsaid end wallsbeing formed of two substantially fiat rigid sectionswhich are hingedly connected to permit said end walls to fold inwardly,and'each of said end walls being providedwith means carried by one ofits said sections and arrangedito cooperate with the other of its saidsections to hold said sections in alinement, said side walls and saidend walls being arranged when in operation to converge upwardly atangles of approximately lofwith respect to the plane of the basaledgesof said frame, and each of said side wallsbeing provided at eachend with a handle rigid therewith and projecting outwardly therefromsubstantially in a plane therewith. and in alinement with the upper edgethereof,-and horizontally beyond the lower longitudinal, or basal,

edge of the corresponding end wall, and'the lower or longer edges ofsaid side walls and said end wallsbeing arranged to lie in the sameplane and to rest against any sultable flat surface of unlimited areawhen said frame is in operation.

4. A measuring form comprising a c'ollapsible quadro-lateralfrusto-pyramidal frame including tWo substantially flat rigid sidewalls, two end walls, hinges connecting each end of each side wall withthe corresponding end of each end wall respectively, each of said endwalls being formed of two substantially flat rigid sections which areMug edly connected to'permit said end walls to fold inwardly, and eachof said side walls being provided along its upper longitudinal edge witha relatively narrow strip'rigidly secured theretoand projectingsubstantially in a plane therewith and inopposite directions therefromand horizontally beyond the lower or basal edges of saidendtwalls toform oppositely arrangedhan'dles.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this24th day of July,A.D. 1912.

" JAMES H. CLEARWATER;

V Witnesses:

lVILLIAM H. FULLER, ROBERTE. LEIeHroN. I

Copies of this patentmayb'e obtaind for'flve' cents each, by addressingthe twomini'si oner ofP'ateats,

. Washington, D. 0.

